Long time no write!!!

It has been for-EVER since I've written anything! My life has been so hectic lately. Last week I was doing what I needed to do in order for us to close on the house. Friday, I picked up the keys and have been residing at my new address since!

Sunday, Robin and I moved in all our stuff, and boy, let me tell you, I have a lot of stuff! But, thank you to Kevin, Sean, Amy and Annette for helping me move my stuff from storage and over to my new abode. And of course to Eliasib - what a fabulous U-Haul-truck-driver you are!

I'll post pictures of the house once I get all settled. In the mean time, I'm sooooooo excited that my parents are coming out here for a week. I miss them so much, and am very happy that they'll be coming out to help me get settled here, and to see what they've invested money in. :)

In the mean time, I have been working both from home and at work (duh) because of deliveries, installations, fixes, etc.

I could TOTALLY work from home, with a pretty structured job expectation. I love it! Of course, I hear that it gets old when you have no human interaction, but I'm willing to give it a go! :)

Well, hope everyone is doing well. i can't wait to post pictures (of an ordered house...its not so ordered at the moment)... stay tuned!!! :)

Oh, and after Kristin moves in this coming month, we'll be having an open house for anyone that wants to come out and have a look-see.

If anyone wants to come visit, let me know! We have room! :)

PostSecret

I saw this interesting blog tonight. Here's how the site describes itself:

"PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard."

It seems like a lot of secrets out there aren't good secrets. We want to tell our good news, but we want to keep the bad ones to ourselves.

Check out the "PostSecret" blog here:

Sabbath Afternoon

Guacamole Doritos = Gourmet Duck Food

Yup, that's what Eli and Sean decided...and apparently the ducks were open-minded!

Sabbath afternoon, some of us went out for a nice picnic at Lake Lilly after church. It was a nice warm day with the occasional breeze off of the lake. We gathered around sandwiches (I had a nice big frank-salad sandwich made with vegeianaise 'mayo'), potato salad, chips, and drinks.


Posted by Val

Simone, Mario, and their precious little one also joined us for lunch. Sorry, for the life of me, I can't remember her name, but she was the cutest little thing. She is a little more than four months old, and she is trying to convince mom and dad to move back to Orlando...of course, she's not having to try very hard.

Cutie Pie & Mommy Simone

Posted by Val

Saturday night we decided to go to Indian Food, but we had to wait to be seated. Of course, that resulted in getting in and eating at a late hour, which was fine since, what else are we gonna do, right???

The difference between this Saturday night and normal Saturday nights was that we weren't a good 50%-50% mix of females and males. Last night was mostly a bunch of males and Amy and me...and boy what a difference that made! At one point, I looked across the table at Amy, and I think her eyes were glazed over like mine...I think they were talking about bio-diesel and car parts and stuff...*sigh* Annette, Kristin, Kristen, COME BACK!!!

Afterwards, while we were paying, Sean and Kevin - two VERY physically fit guys - were trying to see who could do the whole sticking-out-the-stomach-like-a-pregnant-person thing better. Sorry, Kevin, I think Sean had you on this one.

Kristen & Amy have some 'xplainin' to do!!!

Posted by Val

Another quiz

For all you movie buffs, if you haven't tried your hand at the Invisibles quizzes, you should try one out here. If you like that, check out other Invisibles quizzes!

Type in as many of the movie titles as you know, THEN go to the bottom and hit "Answers & Score" If you hit , they'll just give you all the answers.

They're harder than they look!!!

Help??? (Updated - See Answers Below)

So I was looking through my computer, and I found this little quiz someone had emailed me a million years ago that I never finished...partly because I don't know all the answers. Please help!!!

I've posted all the answers that I know of below.

24 H in a D

26 L of the A

7 D of the W

7 W of the W

12 S of the Z

66 B of the B

52 C in a P (WJs)

13 S in the USF

18 H on a G C

39 B of the O T

5 T on a F

90 D in a R A

3 B M (S H T R)

32 is the T in D F at which W F

15 P in a R T ****

3 W on a T

100 C in a R *

11 P in a F (S) T

12 M in a Y

13=UFS *

8 T on a O

29 D in F in a L Y

27 B in the N T

365 D in a Y

13 L in a B D

52 W in a Y

9 L of a C ***

60 M in a H

23 P of C in the H B *****

64 S on a C B **

9 P in S A *

6 B to an O in C *

1000 Y in a M

15 M on a D M C *

* - "Questions" I'm currently stuck on and have not gotten as of today.

** - Okay, "Anonymous" was on the right track (see comments section). Not exactly on (for the spreadsheet to indicate it was right), but basically on (a little tweaking resulted in the desired CORRECT spreadsheet response. Well done! =)

*** - Sweet! Thanks Jim! You'll still be my "phone a friend" friend. :)

**** - Hehe...just got this one! =)

***** - Robin & Annette didn't give up on this one...and you got it!!!!! You guys ROCK!!!!!

Answers (Some)

Okay, if you are interested in knowing what some answers are, here they are!

24 H in a D	24 hours in a day
26 L of the A	26 letters of the alphabet
7 D of the W	7 days of the week
7 W of the W	7 wonders of the world
12 S of the Z	12 signs of the zodiac
66 B of the B	66 books of the bible
52 C in a P (WJs)	52 cards in a pack (without jokers)
13 S in the USF	13 stripes in the united states flag
18 H on a G C	18 holes on a golf course
39 B of the O T	39 books of the old testament
5 T on a F	5 toes on a foot
90 D in a R A	90 degrees in a right angle
3 B M (S H T R)	3 blind mice (see how they run)
32 is the T in D F at which W F	32 is the temperature in degrees fahrenheit at which water freezes
15 P in a R T	15 players in a rugby team
3 W on a T	3 wheels on a tricycle
100 C in a R
11 P in a F (S) T	11 players in a football (soccer) team
12 M in a Y	12 months in a year
13=UFS	13 is unlucky for some
8 T on a O	8 tentacles on a octopus
29 D in F in a L Y	29 days in february in a leap year
27 B in the N T	27 books in the new testament
365 D in a Y	365 days in a year
13 L in a B D	13 loaves in a bakers dozen
52 W in a Y	52 weeks in a year
9 L of a C	9 Lives of a Cat
60 M in a H	60 minutes in a hour
23 P of C in the H B	23 pairs of chromosomes in the human body
64 S on a C B	64 Squares on a Chess Board
9 P in S A
6 B to an O in C
1000 Y in a M	1000 Years in a Millenium
15 M on a D M C	15 men on a dead mans chest

What I shop for nowadays

Gone are the days that I earn money then go out and buy those cute shoes I was looking at.

No, I have to buy dumb things like refridgerators and washers and dryers...and honestly, to me, its just not something I can get all excited about. I mean, seriously, they all look generally the same. Its the slight details that make up the differences...


Posted by Val

Here's Eli and two sales guys. I had to laugh because this is the most guys you'll see crowded around a washer...


Posted by Val

My fridge & a happy Valerie (because now I can go home)



Yeah...I spent the majority of my Sunday going from store to store, looking at fridge after fridge, washer after washer, and dryer after dryer.

Yup...that's what i spent my time today doing. Shopping for household appliances.

And I sorta feel guilty.

Its September 11 today, people have lost their homes and LIVES in the last couple weeks...and what am I doing? I'm debating whether I want a refridgerator that dispenses water and ice, and a washer that is front load or top load.

During the sermon this last Sabbath, the pastor was talking about going out there and changing the world (pretty much). He talked about being remembered for doing something for others and for God. He went on and on about how we COULD live our lives, going to work, doing things to buy stuff that don't really matter in the end.

...well... i am not quoting the pastor, but maybe that's what I heard in my head. Okay... it IS what i heard in my head. I mean, I was actually feeling guilty for having a job, making money, wanting to buy a house and save up some money. Should i feel guilty??? Should I be wanting to go out there, sell all my possessions and live my life fixing the world?

What should I do? What would God want me to do?

The Superficial

I was poking around the internet, and I found this website which details celebrities and what happens in their lives.

Funny thing about this website is that it is (i believe) written by a man, and it is so funny and sarcastic...well, its quite entertaining. Here's how the website describes itself:

Welcome to The Superficial

The Superficial is a brutally honest look at society and its obsession with the superficial. It is not satire. It is not social commentary. It is the voice of our society at its worst. It is first impressions without sense of social obligation. It is the truth of our generation. It is ugly racism. It is jealousy. It is honest.

Just kidding. Our goal is to make fun of as many people as possible.

Check it out here. Have a good laugh!

Cristina

Cristina came to visit Orlando over Labor Day Weekend. We were inseparable when she lived here in Orlando. I was very sad to see her go almost two years ago. Now she hangs out in Chicago and paints that town red.

Anyways, this weekend was spent eating, going to my aunt's funhouse, playing bongos, karaoke, and rook. We also spent a morning at the Canyon Ranch Spa at the Gaylord Palms and got massages. It was a great weekend all around.

Cristina, you are missed in Mickey-town. Come back again!!!!!

Labor Day Weekend

I looked up "Labor Day" on the internet, and this is what I found on this website:

The History of Labor Day

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Happy Labor Day Weekend, people! You've earned it!!!

As for me, this week completely kicked my butt in so many ways. I'm so ready for this weekend. Cristina is gracing Florida with her Chicago-an self. Can't wait to hang out with her again. :) I'll be sure to post pictures.

In the mean time, hope the gas prices don't keep you from livin' it up this weekend!!!